Teach your Kids Empathy and How to Be Grateful

While many think empathy is something you are either born with or not, the way you raise your children can vastly impact the levels of empathy they will show. It is important to teach them how to value others from their earliest years, starting with small steps. Over the years, it should become natural to them.

Here is how to boost empathy and thankfulness in children of different age.

1.Start by showing empathy

Being a good role model always increases your chances of helping your child adopt a certain pattern of behavior. Let your kids know you are always there for them to listen to their problems and help them as much as you can. In their early years, you will achieve it by meeting all their basic needs, while later throughout their childhood and teenage years you will be able to help them with more abstract problems.

2.Encourage your kids to accept differences with other people

Teach your kids all people deserve the same chances, regardless of their race, gender or class. Don’t point out to any differences between people, or, if you do, make sure it is in a positive context and insist on those differences that bring people together. By preventing your kids from having prejudices, you are increasing their chances of becoming more compassionate.

3.Watch movies and cartoons

Pick some age-appropriate content that will communicate a strong message to your kids. They will learn and have fun at the same time. Teaching kids valuable lessons is sometimes easier through fiction narratives. Besides movies and cartoons, you should also encourage them to read good books or read to them.

4.Teach your little ones different emotions

This technique is particularly useful for toddlers. You can purchase guessing games with cards showing different emotions or even find printable emotion cards online. The game is simple – you show them a card and they need to guess the emotion. By reading people’s emotions better, they will be able to connect with them better.

5.Volunteer together

If your child is already in school, maybe even a teenager, you can engage in a community action, participate in raising the ecological awareness, join a charity or help your community to organize a local festival. Any volunteering experience might be useful for your kids, as the feeling that they are helping others will certainly bring out the best of their compassion and thankfulness for being a part of something big and positive.

6.Insist on saying “thank you

Make these simple words a part of their manners. When they get a gift or someone does something nice for them, they should be able to express their gratitude verbally. Words are a powerful weapon, so make sure their words are fuelled by kindness.

7. Donate your child’s old clothes to a charity

Make it a family activity. Sweep the closet and check all the good clothes which don’t fit your child anymore. Explain why it is important to engage in such actions. Once they understand some children don’t enjoy the same benefits as they do, your children will be able to value more what they have.

Once you give your children some basic guidelines, they will continue developing their empathy and thankfulness on their own. There are several unpredictable situations which will wake up their compassion. Some kids who don’t show too much compassion may just haven’t been in such a situation yet.

How will you teach your children empathy? Share your favorite activities in the comments. 

For more great tips on raising children, read 18 Amazing Ways to Boost Your Child’s Creativity